We use our mobile phones to communicate, to get work done, and increasingly, we’re using them to make purchases. The act of using a mobile device to complete commercial transactions is known as m-commerce. And if you’re not familiar with the concept, you should become so, because m-commerce is about to become a hot topic. Customers will begin demanding a better m-commerce experience. Read on to learn how to deliver that to them.
Why m-Commerce Will Become So Popular
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that m-Commerce will become the medium of choice to make online purchases. We are turning to our mobile phones more and more. They’re portable and convenient. With a click of a button, we can buy almost anything we want.
The analyst firm Forrester predicted that retail sales on tablets and smartphones would total $115 billion by the end of 2015. That number should increase to $142 billion by the end of 2016.
Entering the m-Commerce Field
Retailers who don’t already have a mobile Internet presence should make it a priority to establish one. Developing an application to enable m-commerce purchases is a necessary first step.
When developing an app, user experience and security should be the main focuses. If your app has a poor user experience (it crashes, users find it too complicated that they abandon it quickly, the content is poor, etc.), no one will want to use it. Security matters because customers want to know that their personal data, such as address and credit card number, will be kept safe even after they complete the transaction.
How to Improve m-Commerce
Many consumers are turning to m-commerce because of the advantages of ease and convenience. However, there are ways retailers can make m-commerce even more convenient and easy, which would attract greater numbers of consumers.
One way to enhance m-commerce is to enable customers to return items online, especially with the aid of their mobile devices. Many customers still prefer to return their purchases in store. They find it simpler than paying to ship the item back to the retailer.
If the app that the consumer used to make the purchase were able to store a copy of the receipt, it would be easier for the customer to complete the return process. He or she could electronically transmit the receipt to the retailer, which would save the shopper the hassle of trying to locate the original receipt.
Another way to make m-commerce even better for customers is to use geo-targeting technologies. Geo-targeting technologies identify a person’s location. Then, an ad server can transmit geographically relevant marketing messages to that shopper. For example, shoppers in Boston would benefit from a deal on winter apparel, whereas someone from Los Angeles wouldn’t.
Some of the ways to improve m-commerce aren’t necessarily high-tech. It’s important for retailers to remember that content has to be optimized for the smaller screens of mobile devices. Make sure images of products easy to see and clearly present their advantages.
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